Red Cell

From the Tom Clancy of a new generation, a debut thriller following two CIA outcasts who must race to stop a secret Chinese weapon that threatens to provoke a world war.

From the Tom Clancy for a new generation, a debut thriller following two CIA outcasts who must race to stop a secret Chinese weapon that threatens to provoke a world war

After her first assignment in Venezuela goes disastrously awry, rookie case officer Kyra Stryker is brought back to Langley to work in the Red Cell, the CIA's out-of-the-box think tank. There she's paired with Jonathan Burke, a straitlaced analyst who has alienated his colleagues with his unorthodox methods and a knack for always being right, political consequences be damned.

When a raid on Chinese spies in Taiwan ends in a shoot-out and the release of a deadly chemical, CIA director Kathy Cooke turns to the Red Cell to figure out why China is ready to invade the island nation without any fear of reprisal from the US Navy. Stryker and Burke's only lead is the top CIA asset in China, code named Pioneer. But when Pioneer reports that Chinese security has him under surveillance, Stryker is offered a chance for redemption with a highly dangerous mission: extract Pioneer from China before he's arrested and executed. The answers he holds could mean the difference between peace in the Pacific or another world war.

From CIA headquarters to the White House to a Navy carrier in the South China Sea and the dark alleyways of Beijing, Red Cell takes readers on a whirlwind race against time as Stryker and Burke work to save Pioneer and discover the hidden threat to America's power: China's top-secret weapon.

CIA analyst Mark Henshaw infuses expert knowledge of the intelligence world into a pulse-pounding plot to create a fascinating, authentic, and unforgettable read.

Opinion

From the critics

Community Activity

Comment

Very good CIA themed novel, people seemed real and the plot is interesting. Few people realize just how close to war we have come with both Russia and China. Putin is exactly the type of leader who can make a miscalculation that leads to war if not with us then with his neighbors. Totalitarian regimes always have trouble reading US politics-look at our current GOP candidates and try to imagine Donald Trump running the showdown with the Russians over Cuba-scary.

A first novel and so, major problems, lots of promise. --- Author doesn't organize in a genre way--Doesn't stay w/main character (s). Interesting stuff equally mixed w/plodding stuff which rounds out the 'story' but detracts from the flow. Actually has an invasion that puts book into improbable ground, rather than 'the possible', which 'costs' realism. Once the line is crossed you have to go further and make it plausible or you lose the impact of NOW, important in this thriller/intel genre. --- All the components are good and well written, but the editor should have given notes like mine; shame on (probably her). Some things should have been deleted to allow focus on Kyra, the heroine. It's important to STAY WITH HER ALMOST ALL THE TIME so we gain intimacy; and entry to the story. This 'Pulp Fiction' effect of jumping all over IS NOT NECESSARY for a 'big' experience. Most of the time Kyra actually has NOTHING TO DO. --- Henshaw has A LOT of potential; Kyra will be back.

muddy8769
Apr 09, 2013

This is a great read. North Korea is presently making the same threats coverwd in this novel. It is a plus that it's written by someone recognized and awarded by the National Intelligence community.